Cynthia Hartwick grew up in San Diego, California, but lives in Los Angeles. She has a Ph.D. in English and also attended film school. When not writing, she works as a business consultant. In a 2001 interview with The Romance Reader, the self-admittedly shy author states that she has held jobs at "everything from working in a restaurant, to sorting mail for the post office, to (very briefly) picking fruit." She has also taught college English and helps small business owners and entrepreneurs buy and sell businesses. She is married to an intellectual property attorney.